Book Review: The Reluctant Sacrifice by Kerr-Ann Dempster

BLURB

Centuries ago, sibling rivalry tore Aramith apart. As punishment, the losers were stripped of their immortal birthright and banished to Earth. There, they wasted away from old age and diseases. However, there is hope… 

If a Shaw child, born on the 12th day of the 12th month offers her soul in a public sacrifice, then the exiles will be forgiven and welcomed home to Aramith. 

Aubrey Shaw is that child, but dying for the exiles is not on her to-do list. Using her gift as a Jumper, Aubrey leaps between bodies to escape relentless shape-shifting hunters. Only, shedding her skin is not enough. Not when Joshua, her best-friend-turned-hunter, is hell-bent on dragging her to the altar. 

Will Aubrey’s love for Joshua change his mind? 

Or, will she have to trust the scarred stranger who shows up out of the blue cloaked in lies and secrets? Doing so means giving up on Joshua. But betting on Joshua's love could do more than break her heart. 

It could kill her.

Title: The Reluctant Sacrifice
Author: Kerr-Ann Dempster
Pages:263 pages
Publisher: Ink City House
Date Published: August 7th 2015

Review:

I received an eBook copy from For Love of a Book in exchange for an honest review.

Now this book is such an amazing read! It has the action and thrill from the very first page of the book up to the last. It is so indulging and the story is quite unique. Though the beginning was a bit confusing because there was no discreet introduction of characters or the situation or anything, the story just flowed. But it’s not that hard to catch up on the story.

Aubrey is a unique character. She’s brave but she doesn’t know it. And it seems to me that there a lot of good characters of Aubrey’s that she doesn’t see. For her, she’s a coward who is good at nothing but running away and jumping. For me, Aubrey is fearless. And I somehow understand why she doesn’t want to be caught by the Hawk Unit. Even though the reason sound heroic to other people but when you’re the one being the sacrifice, it’s hard not to escape.

Let’s go to Joshua’s character. Right from the start of Joshua’s appearance to the book, I didn’t like him. Though they way Aubrey talk about him, it’s like you’re supposed to like him because he’s her love interest. But I just can’t. I hate him. And there’s something about him that I really don’t like.

And then there goes, Coy. His name sounds so awkward in my head because I have a classmate whom I called Coy because it’s her nickname. And yes she’s a she so it’s a bit awkward to picture Coy as the tall-and-creepy without thinking my classmate. (LOL) I always have a thing for mysterious boys whenever I read books, the kind of boys who can’t be trusted but is actually the one that can be trusted. Also, Coy is tall and big and just so dreamy. Despite his scars, he sounds so handsome to me. And I knew from the start that Coy loves Aubrey. I can feel it. Though again, the mystery that’s wrapped around him seems to doubt you. Just follow Aubrey’s reminder to her, trust your instinct. Coy loves Aubrey.

Now let’s head over to the story, one word: wow! I could say that the story is so inspired to the series Supernatural. Not to mention Aubrey’s best friend, Tessa, is so obsessed with the series. When Charr explained what happened between him and his twin brother Celo, I thought about the Season 11 of the Supernatural Series. If this book hadn’t been published last year, I would say that it really is based in that season of the series. However, it only made me amazed at the author because for some reason, she predicted or had an idea on what’s about to happen on the series and she based her book in it. Like seriously. Charr and Celo sounds like Chuck and Amara. The light and darkness who created a world and the darkness destroyed the world and blah blah blah. It’s so amazing.

Then ending though, it didn’t have the action I was hoping. I had expected more fight, more something but it didn’t have it. The climax seems to happen five chapters before the end. And it wasn’t even that much of a climax. The epilogue is my favorite chapter. If you’re asking why, please read the book. (Haha!)

And then their gifts! Out of all the gifts on the characters that were introduced, the one that I like is Joshua’s gift. (Yes, I know I said I hate him. I do hate the guy but I didn’t said I hate his gift too.) Joshua’s gift is hydrokinetic, the ability to control the weather. For me he sounds like Jason Grace the son of Zeus. Even Coy joked about Zeus in the book. When he’s mad, lightning bolts hit and thunder rumble. Though he can’t fly unless he folds himself into a hawk. But then, he’s gift is what I like the most.

This book is so good even though there are parts that the transition is so fast and sometimes confusing. Like, one minute they are talking calmly and then the next minute they are on each other’s throat. It’s an amazing read. It has love, action, humor and pain all combined in one book.

The ending is somehow satisfying but it will build the urge to read both the companion book (The Reluctant Huntress) and the epic conclusion (The Reluctant Kings).

I seriously want to read the companion book. Is there a way to read the companion book? I really really want to read the rest of the book! Because, obviously, I still want more.

Rate: 4/5 stars!



About the Author...

Kerr-Ann Dempster lives in Michigan where she is often found with her nose in a book, her toes in the sand/snow, and online fan-girling over fictional characters and fellow authors. She is a graduate of Loyola University, Chicago where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. After working in Visual Communications and as a Flight Attendant, Kerr-Ann decided that life was best spent being happy. With that in mind, she published her first novel, Beneath Scarlett Valley, in August 2014. She then published her second novel, The Reluctant Sacrifice, in August 2015. 

To know more about Kerr-Ann, visit her website here.